Track-brake.



No. 709,743. Patented Sept. 23, I962.

. T. s. BUTLER.

TRACK BRAKE.

{Application tiled Apr. 15, 1902.) (No Model.) 2-Sheets'Shee't I,

WITNESSES:

. .Z'Zozzms 5 3%.

' ATTORNEYS I Patented Sept. 23, I902.

T. S. BUTLER.

TRACK BRAKE.

{Applicgtiou filed Apr. 15, 1902.]

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets -Shee\ 2.

Wllllllh WITNESSES! lNVE/VTUR $.12. 1' fioifla 5.3544 1%??? Juan/ I BY ATTOHNE YS lUNlTF rates ATFNT FFICE.

THOMAS SHANON BUTLER, OF VANDERGRIFT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK- BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,743, datedSeptember 23, 1902.

Application filed April 15. 1902. Serial No. 102,947. (No model.)

To all whont it nutty concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHANON Bur LER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vandergrift, in the county of \Vestmoreland andState of Pennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements inTrack-l3rakes, of. which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in carbrakes, especially in that class ofsuch brakes known as track-brakes, wherein the braking device is appliedto the railroad-rails; and the invention consists in certain novelconstructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improvements. Fig. 2is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssection on aboutline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail section on about line 4. 4 ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail edge view of the brakingwheel. Fig. 6 is anelevation of the inner end of the bearing-block. Fig. 7 is a detailperspective view of the bearing-block. Fig. Sis a detail perspectiveview of one of the brackets which carry the brake-levers. Fig. 9 is adetail perspective view of one of the boxes for the main shaft, and Fig.10 is a detail perspective view of the shaft of the brakingwheel.

My invention is shown as applied to the beams A of the car, which beamsmay preferably be the side beams of the trucks. To the beam A, betweenthe car-wheels B, I secure the brackets C, which may be alike, exceptthat they are rights and let'ts, and one of which is shown in detail inFig. 8. These brackets are arranged relatively near to the wheels B andprovide at G pivotal supports for the brake-levers, presently described.Each bracket 0 is formed with a main section 0 having atits upper edgeupright wing O to lap against the inner side of the beam A, below saidwing C an inwardly-inclining wing C, and at the inner lower end of thewing C a depending wing C to which the brake-levers are pivoted, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bracket has also a section C separate fromthe section 0 and provided with an upper horizontal wing G to lapbeneath the beam A and an inclined wing C fitting against the outer sideof the inclined wing G of the section C and secured thereto by the boltsD, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The wing C of the bracket 0 is secured bybolts D to the beam A, bracing-plates [I being preferably lapped onopposite sides of the said beam A, as best shown in Fig. By thedescribed construction I furnish a spring bearing-support for thebrake-levers and arrange the same in from the beam A and directly overthe rail E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The brake-levers F may be alike and are pivoted by the bolts F to thebrackets O, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide the short outer arms F andthe long inner arms F the ends of the arms F extending close together,as shown in Fig. 2, so they can both be operated on by the liftingdevices presently described. By preference I construct the levers F eachwith the separate side plates f, which lap on opposite sides of thebracket (J and are preferably spaced apart therefrom by the washers G,the bolts F passing through the side plates fand the washers G andbracket 0, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and L. The end arms of thelevers may be supplied with weights H to hold said arms normallydepressed, as desired, and these weights Il may be readily secured bythe bolts it, so they can be changed whenever desired. The short arms Fof the levers F have depending portionsf slotted atf to receive thepivotpins 1 of the brake-wheels J, the arms F being also provided abovethe slotsf with openings f*, in which are fitted and held thebearing-blocks K. (Shown in Figs. 6 and 7.) These bearingblocks Koverlie the brake wheels J and are pressed against by the latter in thesetting of the brakes. At their inner ends the blocks K are providedwith the side wings or lugs K, Which overlap theinnerplate fof thelever, and the outer ends of the blocks K project beyond the outerplatef of the lever and are perforated at K to receive a cutter-pin K aswill be understood from Figs. 1 and 2. The brakewheel J has its pin orshaft I slidable vertically in the slots f so when the lever F is rockedto bring the brake'wheel down upon the rail the bearingblock will beforced upon the upper edge of the brake-wheel and the latter will becaused to operate between the rail and the bearingblock in such manneras to efficiently brake the car. The brake-wheel is toothed or ribbed,as shown, on its periphery and also has its periphery curved or concave,and the bearing-block is curved to fit the wheel, as shown at 70 in Fig.7.

In operating the levers the inner adjacent ends of each pair areconnected by chains L with a drum M on a shaft N, the shaft beingjournaled in bearings O, mounted on the beams A, and such shaft beingprovided with a pulley N, from which a chain N leads to any suitableform of operating device, so the chain N can be drawn upon to turn thepulley N, and so turn the drum M as to lift the inner adjacent endsofthe levers F, and thus force the outer short arms of said leversdownwardly to press the brake-wheels against the rails and so operate tobrake the car.

By the described construction the brakes can be applied with great forcewhenever an emergency occurs requiring the sudden stopping of the train,and ,the wearing parts J and K can be renewed at a slight expense.

It will be understood in practice the brakewheels J normally ride clearof the rails and can be brought down upon the rails and to operatebetween the same and the bearingblocks by a slight movement of the inneradjacent ends of the long arms of the levers F, as before described.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a brake mechanism substantially as described, ofthe supportingbeams, the brackets secured thereto, and spaced apart andhaving at their upper ends the upright and horizontal wings lappingalongside the beam and the intermediate inwardly-inclined wings and thedepending wings at the inner lower ends of the inclined wings, thelevers comprising side plates pivoted between their ends to the saiddepending wings of the brackets, and provided be tween the side platesnear their inner adjacent ends With the weight-blocks and between theirside plates near their outer ends with the brake-wheel movablevertically and with the bearing-blocks operating above said wheels, theshaft mounted in hearings on the beam, between the opposite bracketsthereof, the drum on said shaft, connections between said drumand theinner adjacent ends of the brake-levers and means whereby the drum maybe turned, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a brake mechanism with a supporting-beam, of thebrackets secured at their upper ends to the supportingbeams andinclining inwardly below the said beams, the brake-levers pivotedbetween their ends to the lower ends of the said brackets and providedat their outer ends with the brake-wheels, and lifting means connectedwith the inner adjacent ends of the brakelevers, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination in a brake mechanism with a suitable support, of thelever pivoted thereto, and com posed of side plates, a weightblockbetween the side plates of said lever on the long arm of said lever, andthe brakewheel and bearing-block supported between the side plates ofthe short arm of the lever, and means whereby the lever may be operated,substantially as set forth.

t. A brake substantially as described, comprising the lever, thebrake-wheel movable in the lever and arranged to bear upon the track,and a bearing-block supported by the lever and arranged to act upon theopposite side of the wheel from the track, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the brake-lever provided with a lateral openingfor the bearingblock, the bearing-block fitted in saidopening, and thebrake -wheel movable in the brake-lever below the bearing-block andtoward and from the same, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the brake-lever having the opposite side plates,and provided therein with the slots for the shaft of the brake-Wheel,and above said slots with the openings for the bearing-block, thebearingblock fitted and held in said openings, and the wheel below saidbearing-block and having its shaft movable in the slots of the sideplates, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the beam, of the levers below the same andpivoted near their outer ends, the brake-wheels and bearingbloeks in theouter ends of the said levers, and lifting devices connected with theinner ends of the levers, substantially as set forth.

8. In a brake mechanism, the combination of the bracket, the leverhaving side plates extending on opposite sides of and pivoted to thebracket, the brake-wheel and bearingblock between the said plates on oneside of the bracket, and the lifting device connected with the lever onthe opposite side of the bracket, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS SHANON BUTLER.

Witnesses:

THOS. A. NIooDEMUs, RoBT. W. SMITH.

